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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — a group
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — a publisher
  7. board — to get on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rest — a break
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for dancing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. root — the cause
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for golf
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. press — to push
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com